The coronavirus pandemic has made the summer transfer window uncertain, but here are the rumours floating around Europe’s big leagues and beyond.
Inter eye summer swoop for Walker
Internazionale have made Manchester City right-back Kyle Walker a top target this summer as they look to bolster their defensive options, the Sun reports.
England full-back Walker, 30, has been the subject of some off-pitch controversy in recent months after breaching lockdown rules on several occasions, with Inter boss Antonio Conte sensing the opportunity to offer the defender a fresh start.
Pep Guardiola has admitted he has spoken with Walker about his conduct, but is still believed to see him as a key part of his plans for next season, with reports suggesting the club will listen to offers for fellow right-back Joao Cancelo, while the club have cooled their interest in Barcelona‘s Nelson Semedo.
But Conte will still be hopeful of negotiating a deal, having already lured a trio of Premier League stars to the San Siro relatively recently in the form of Romelu Lukaku, Ashley Young and Christian Eriksen.
Walker has made 31 appearances for City this season, scoring once.
Man United hit with a colossal price tag for Fati
Look away now Manchester United fans, this one will probably make your eyes water!
Earlier this week, ESPN brought you the news that the Red Devils would have to up their £135 million bid to a whopping £151m in order to land Barcelona winger Ansu Fati.
Now things might be about to get even worse for the club’s hierarchy, with the Express reporting that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side will have to pay a record-breaking (and frankly frightening) £355m in order to land the sensational 17-year-old.
Fati has struck six times in 26 appearances for Barca this season and is hotly tipped to become one of football’s future greats.
According to the Express, United’s opening bid of £85m was quickly rebuffed with the Catalonia-based club unwilling to negotiate further at any price. That means the club’s only option will be to pay the player’s release clause, which is now said to be more than £200m higher than the sum that was initially reported.
Sancho’s ‘head with Man United’ as speculation gathers momentum
Meanwhile, it seems like barely a day goes by when Jadon Sancho isn’t being linked with a move to Manchester, but in slightly more positive news for United fans, they appear to be edging ever nearer to completing a deal for the Borussia Dortmund man.
The Red Devils are said to have been keen on Sancho for some time now, and their hopes of landing the England star received another boost on Saturday, with German journalist Heiko Wasser stating that Sancho’s head is already with Solskjaer’s side.
The 20-year-old had to settle for a place on the bench as Dortmund secured second spot in the Bundesliga with a 2-0 win over third-placed RB Leipzig — and Wasser says that call was made because Sancho’s head has been turned.
That news will be welcomed at Old Trafford with United believed to have made Sancho their top target this summer, although the Express report that the Premier League side will have to fork out £120 million to secure the talented youngster’s services.
Juve step up Jimenez interest
Serie A leaders Juventus are said to have taken their interest in Wolves forward Raul Jimenez up a notch as they look to secure a replacement for veteran striker Gonzalo Higuain, and are hoping to exploit their relationship with the player’s agent, Jorge Mendes, to facilitate a deal.
According to the Daily Mail, Maurizio Sarri has switched his attention to Jimenez after being put off by Napoli‘s £40m asking price for Arkadiusz Milik, but the Italian side’s unwillingness to spend big could cause problems with Wolves valuing their star striker at £53m.
The Old Lady had been hoping to take Jimenez on an initial loan with a view to a permanent deal and were contemplating the option of player-swaps to reduce the Mexico international’s price tag, but the Premier League side are not interested in any such deal.
The Bianconeri are expected to face competition from a host of Europe’s elite clubs, including Real Madrid and Manchester United, for the forward, who struck again at West Ham on Saturday to take his attacking tally to 22 goals and 10 assists in just 44 matches across all competitions.
Tap-ins
– Barcelona midfielder Arthur Melo has rejected the chance to move to Juventus, reiterating again his desire to stay and fight for a first-team place with Quique Setien’s side. According to Marca, the 23-year-old has turned down the chance to earn a €5m-a-year salary in Turin and believes he has what it takes to earn a place in a competitive Barcelona midfield.
– Marca also say that PSG’s all-time top scorer Edinson Cavani will return to Paris to bid farewell to the club in the coming days after reaching an agreement to end his contract as initially planned on June 30. According to the Spanish publication, the Uruguayan, now 33, is keen to focus on a new project and will not feature in the remainder of the Parisians delayed Champions League fixtures.